Large Retail Research Articles

Analyzing SD-WAN Deployment Challenges in the Retail Sector

This article presents a comprehensive case study analysis of a significant SD-WAN deployment failure within a large retail chain, offering critical insights into the challenges and complexities associated with network modernization in the retail sector. Through an in-depth examination of the implementation process, we identify key factors contributing to the failure, including inadequate pre-deployment assessment, poor vendor selection, overlooked security requirements, and difficulties integrating with legacy systems. The article employs a rigorous methodology, combining semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and on-site observations to provide a nuanced understanding of the technical, organizational, and human factors at play. By analyzing the consequences of the failed deployment, including increased operational costs, customer dissatisfaction, and reputational damage, we derive valuable lessons and best practices for future SD-WAN implementations. The article concludes with a discussion of risk mitigation strategies, the importance of tailored solutions, and long-term considerations for SD-WAN success in retail environments. This article contributes to the growing body of knowledge on SD-WAN adoption, offering practical guidance for retailers and IT professionals navigating the complexities of network transformation in an increasingly digital retail landscape.

Study on Optimizing Inventory to Minimize Waste in the Fresh Produce Supply Chain

Abstract: The increasing demand for fresh produce, particularly greens, presents unique challenges in inventory management due to their short shelf life and susceptibility to spoilage. Inefficient management often results in significant waste, leading to financial losses for retailers and increased environmental burdens from the disposal of spoiled goods. Despite various strategies being employed in the agri-food sector, gaps remain in understanding how to optimize inventory levels to minimize waste at the retails level while maintaining high service levels for customers. This research aims to develop an inventory management model tailored to fresh produce that can mitigate these issues by balancing stock availability and minimizing wastage, particularly in large retail shops. To address the research problem, a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model was developed, focusing on three service levels—90%, 92%, and 95%—to evaluate the trade-offs between customer satisfaction and total inventory costs. The model incorporates key constraints, including stock balance, shelf-life limitations, and demand satisfaction. The model was validated using actual data, including stock, sales, and wastage records for the month of August, 2024. The objective function aimed to minimize total costs, encompassing holding costs, wastage, and lost revenue. The findings indicate that higher service levels, while reducing stockouts, significantly increase costs due to excess inventory and waste. The most cost-effective solution was observed at the 90% service level, which balanced waste reduction and customer satisfaction. The study also emphasizes the importance of integrating total cost reduction and minimize wastage. Future work should focus on incorporating consumer behavior patterns and extending the model to multi-echelon inventory systems, which include both distribution centers and retail outlets, to capture a more holistic view of the supply chain.

Anthropomorphic Sad Expressions Reduce Waste of “Single” Imperfect Food

ABSTRACTPoint‐of‐sale anthropomorphism—attributing human characteristics to nonhuman entities—has been shown to increase evaluations of food that deviates in shape or form from consumer expectations (“imperfect food”). However, while previous research has included the use of primary emotions to manipulate anthropomorphism, it is unclear whether depicting imperfect produce with happy or sad emotional expressions is more effective in boosting choice of such produce. This research addresses this gap and additionally examines a novel type of imperfection: when produce is torn off the bunch it normally comes in. A field study conducted at a large food retailer in Germany revealed that sales of “single” bananas significantly increased when they were anthropomorphized with sad emotions compared to when they were anthropomorphized with happy emotions or not anthropomorphized. Across three preregistered online experiments, this research corroborates the effectiveness of sad emotional expressions in boosting purchase intentions, establishes compassion as the underlying process, generalizes this effect to other produce (i.e., tomatoes), and shows that a price discount eliminates this effect. The findings of this research are particularly relevant for food retailers aiming to increase purchases, and thus reduce waste, of fresh produce that has become a loose “single.”

LOST and Found in Walmart: Walmart's Effect on Local Option Sales Tax (LOSTs) Adoption and Sales Tax Revenue

Throughout the period of adoption of Local Option Sales Taxes (LOSTs) by local governments research has found many causes and associations for adoption and utilization of LOSTs. This research explores the impact that the rise of Large Supply Chain retailers, which expanded along much the same timeline as LOSTs, had on the adoption of LOSTs and collection of sales tax revenue. Leveraging LOST adoption along different timelines in three states and hundreds of Walmart openings, a Cox Proportional Hazard Model is used to estimate the impact a Walmart opening has on time to adoption of LOST at the county level. A Difference in Difference with multiple validity and robustness checks is used to estimate the impact on sales tax collection. Results indicate that a Walmart opening has a large impact on the hazard ratio—indicating it speeds time to adoption. Unsurprisingly, this leads to larger sales tax revenue collections by host jurisdictions.

Wielding Occam’s razor: Fast and frugal retail forecasting

The algorithms available for retail forecasting have increased in complexity. Newer methods, such as machine learning, are inherently complex. The more traditional families of forecasting models, such as exponential smoothing and autoregressive integrated moving averages, have expanded to contain multiple possible forms and forecasting proles. We question the complexity of forecasting and the need to consider such large families of models. Our argument is that parsimoniously identifying suitable subsets of models will not decrease forecasting accuracy, nor will they reduce the ability to estimate forecast uncertainty. We propose a framework that balances forecasting performance versus computational cost. As a result, we consider a reduced set of models. We empirically demonstrate that such a reduced set performs well. Finally, we translate computational benefits to monetary cost savings and environmental impact and discuss the implications of our results in the context of large retailers.

Potential Impacts of Diversification of Food Retail Working Hours on Consumer Behaviour and the Benefits for Local Producers in Latvia

The capability of large food retail chains to respond quickly to changes in consumer behaviour and their dominant market position affects all food market players and often conflicts with the interests of national food producers, which can reduce the presence of locally sourced products in the food product mix in the country. Accordingly, the present research aims to identify the impacts of the diversification of opening hours of food supermarkets on consumer shopping habits and the implications for creating an advantage for small and medium agri-food producers in selling their products. The research applied a quantitative approach to identify the main trends in society (n = 2738), with a survey including 31 variables to quantify consumer behaviour, values, and opinions and seven socio-demographic variables. If a decision was made in Latvia to close grocery shops on Sundays or reduce their opening hours on weekends, 85% of consumers indicated that they would be unlikely to change their usual shopping location and would plan to shop at a supermarket on other days. The choice between farmers’ markets and local food shops on Sundays would be made by 45% of consumers, with more than half (53%) of them shopping at local food shops at least a few times a month. The research uniquely investigated the impact of reducing supermarket opening hours on the competitive advantage of small and medium-sized agri-food producers. The findings revealed that reducing supermarket opening hours does not confer a competitive advantage to the producers or significantly shift consumer preferences towards their products.

Navigating the online food environment: policy pathways for promoting food access, transparency, and healthy food choices online.

The internet is drastically changing how U.S. consumers shop for groceries, order food from restaurants, and interact with food marketing. There is an urgent need for new policies to help ensure that the internet is a force for good when it comes to food access, transparency, and nutrition. This article outlines actions that federal agencies-like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-and state and local governments can take to improve the online food environment. We recommend policies in three settings: online grocery retail, online restaurant ordering, and marketing on social media and other online platforms. For example, USDA could finalize regulations increasing access to online WIC and remove barriers to accessing online SNAP by requiring large retailers to waive online delivery and service fees for SNAP purchases. FDA could improve access to nutrition information by issuing guidance describing what product information should be available at the online point of selection. FTC could give better guidance on appropriate tactics when marketing to children and collect better data on how companies are marketing food to children online. Finally, state governments could pass laws like New York's recently introduced Predatory Marketing Prevention Act to address false and misleading advertising of unhealthy foods aimed at children and other vulnerable groups.

Voluntary versus mandatory food labels, Australia.

To compare uptake of the voluntary Health Star Rating front-of-pack nutrition labelling system with uptake of a mostly mandatory country-of-origin label in Australia over a similar period. We used data on numbers and proportions of products carrying health stars and country-of-origin labelling recorded annually between 2015 and 2023 through surveys of four large Australian food retailers. We determined the proportion of products with health stars and country-of-origin labels for each year by dividing the number of products carrying each label by the total number eligible to carry that label. The uptake of the voluntary Health Star Rating increased steadily between 2014 and 2018, reaching a maximum of 42% (8587/20 286) of products in 2021 before decreasing to 39% (8572/22 147) in 2023. Mandatory country-of-origin labelling uptake rose rapidly and was found on 93% (17 567/18 923) of products in 2023. In categories where country-of-origin labelling was voluntary, uptake by 2023 was 48% (3313/6925). In our 2023 sample of 22 147 products, 11 055 (50%) carried country-of-origin labelling only, 7466 (35%) carried both health star and country-of-origin labelling, 1106 (5%) carried health star labels only and 2520 (11%) carried neither label. The experience with country-of-origin labelling shows that widespread and rapid food labelling change can be achieved when required by law. The Australian government should mandate the Health Star Rating without delay. Australia's experience supports other jurisdictions in implementing mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling as well as updates to global guidance to recognize mandatory labelling as best-practice in delivering benefits to consumers.

Analysis Of Bankruptcy Prediction Using Springate, Zmijewski, Grover. And Altman Z-Score Models On Retail Companies Listed On The Indonesia Stock Exchange

The retail sector plays a significant role and contributes greatly to the national economy. The slowdown in domestic economic growth and decreased consumer purchasing power have significantly impacted the retail business in Indonesia. This is evident from the high number of retail companies declared bankrupt and many large retail companies closing their stores. The aim of this study is to assess the health level of retail companies, determine the differences in scores among the research models, and evaluate the accuracy of the Springate, Zmijewski, Grover, and Altman models. This research is a quantitative study with a descriptive approach. The research objects are retail companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the period 2019-2021. Sampling technique used is purposive sampling. The results of this study indicate that the highest accuracy level is achieved by the Grover model with an accuracy of 77.7%, followed by the Zmijewski model with an accuracy level of 72.2%. Meanwhile, the Springate and Altman models have the same accuracy level of 66.6%.

Modelling the recovery time from peak loads in a full-scale horizontal flow wetland in Sicily

The aim of this study was to simulate the water flow and reactive transport of pollutants in a horizontal flow (HF) wetland to better understand the recovery time of the treatment performance for peak load events. For the simulation, the processes-based model HYDRUS and its Wetland Module is used. The system under investigation is the first stage of the 9-years old hybrid treatment wetland of a large retail store, located in Catania, Italy. For the calibration of the hydraulic model, the data of a tracer test was used. The data set of the systems is available for a seven year period including organic matter and ammonia nitrogen. The data was split into a standard event representing low loading conditions and determined peak load events with high loadings. The results show that the response time of the model correlates with the hydraulic retention time from the tracer experiment and indicates that higher peak load concentrations at the inlet of the system lead to a longer recovery time of the wetland.

Decisions and coordination in low-carbon supply chains with a wholesale price constraint under government subsidies

Motivated by the challenge of meeting carbon-conscious consumers and carbon regulations, this paper expounded on the decisions and coordination in low-carbon supply chains with a wholesale price constraint (WPC). The WPC is the behavior of large retailers (e.g., Walmart, Amazon, and E.Leclerc) that pursue a profit margin that does not fall below a certain level, which can affect supply chain operations. First, we develop a competition model, revealing that the WPC can result in a loss of total supply chain profit and a shortage in carbon emission reduction and then pose systematic challenges. Following this, we design a Nash bargaining-based cooperation model, showing that it can coordinate the supply chain and achieve a continuous allocation of optimal profits according to the bargaining power of firms. Lastly, our extended analysis incorporates the external influence of government subsidies for low-carbon technologies and designs the optimal subsidy mechanism. We demonstrate that, while government subsidies can reduce cost pressures on the supplier and provide incentives to reduce carbon emission, they can also induce the retailer to set a higher WPC for greater profitability, so the performance loss remains prominent. In this circumstance, we construct a Nash bargaining-based cooperation model that can coordinate the supply chain. Overall, our insights can help firms achieve scientific carbon emission reduction and formulate a reasonable WPC, as well as provide a quantitative basis for government carbon regulations.

DMart: Will it Regain its Leadership Position in the Indian Retail Industry?

The case study analyses the competitive scenario of the retail industry in India in 2021. It provides a detailed examination of the turbulence in the retail space due to the acquisition of Future Group’s retail business by Reliance Retail, which displaced DMart from its market leadership position. Before the acquisition, DMart, a retail chain of hypermarkets operated under Avenue Supermarts Ltd, was the largest retailer in India. The case describes the dilemma DMart’s CEO, Neville Noronha, faced in enduring the competition in offline and online retail while retaining its present competitive advantages. This case uses secondary data to examine the retail industry dynamic and DMart’s aspirations, positioning, and strengths. It also analyses the challenges that DMart might face on its path to regaining its position and catching the pace of change in the retail industry.

A SWOT Analysis of Organizations in the Agri-Food Chain Sector from the Northern Region of Portugal Using the PESTEL and MEETHS Frameworks

Research on modern agri-food chains aims to enhance flexibility by analyzing supply chain aspects to identify improvement opportunities. A SWOT analysis of 39 agri-food sector organizations using a SWOT analysis organized using the PESTEL and MEETHS categories was conducted to evaluate the stakeholders’ needs in this sector of activity in Northern Portugal. Logistic regressions were used to compute inferential statistics, which were complemented with a qualitative analysis. Cooperatives and primary sector companies often claim superior product quality without clear evidence, while corporations integrated into competitive national markets, like those with smoked products, adapt better to dietary trends. Small- and medium-sized enterprises struggle with competitive wages, leading to high turnover and difficulty retaining skilled workers. High costs hinder many organizations, particularly cooperatives, from adopting modern communication technologies affecting competitiveness. Challenges include identifying market opportunities and managing global competition for raw materials, like wild fish. Fishing and meat sectors depend heavily on modern distribution and are dominated by large retailers. Low labor costs boost competitiveness but reflect the struggle to add value. Larger organizations are more optimistic though many face challenges with the cost and volatility of key products, like pork and milk. This study offers the following key recommendations: invest in technology and innovation while balancing short-term gains with long-term sustainability; strengthen strategic planning and collaboration among corporations, cooperatives, associations, and academic institutions; and adapt to regulatory changes, invest in market and technological capabilities, and address resource limitations. Research and collaboration with policymakers and academic institutions will support tailored solutions, enabling the sector to anticipate challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

The supply of fish/seafood in retail establishments in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

Every year, the large retail networks diversify the supply of fish and seafood. This is relevant for the 2,066,175 inhabitants of the city of Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas, since per capita consumption of fish is one of the highest in Brazil. Data collection was carried out from May, 2021 to March, 2022 and establishments were grouped into: Emporiums (Group 1), Supermarkets (Group 2) and Hypermarkets (Group 3). A total of 25 establishments from 14 chains were visited. In all, 1,019 different products were recorded, 346 from groups of continental species (20 groups of species) and 673 from groups of marine species (29 groups of species), with greater diversity in Group 2. Products with greater commercial value are found in Group 1, those with lower value in Group 2. Whole fish are offered, in chunks, sliced, balls, in paste form (pate, sachets, surimi), sausages/tambaqui (Colossomo macropomum) sausage, dried and salted, canned, in mixes and paella kits, etc. In the comparative analysis of the prices between the groups, there was no significant difference in prices among the groups of establishments for 11 of the 17 products analyzed, in which we can highlight three marine species: tuna (Thunnus thynnus) with 62 products, cod (Gadus macrocephalus; Gadus morhua) with 41 products, sea sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis) with 31 products; and one freshwater species, tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) with 41 products; allowing the consumer a wide choice between the types of establishments and the products available in order to meet their needs, preferences and provide convenience.

Implementation of health-promoting retail initiatives in the Healthier Choices in Supermarkets Study—qualitative perspectives from a feasibility study

BackgroundImproving food environments like supermarkets has the potential to affect customers’ health positively. Scholars suggest researchers and retailers collaborate closely on implementing and testing such health-promoting interventions, but knowledge of the implementation of such interventions is limited. We explore the implementation of four health-promoting food retail initiatives selected and developed by a partnership between a research institution, a large retail group, and a non-governmental organisation.MethodsThe four initiatives included downsizing of bags for pick’n’ mix sweets and soda bottles at the check-out registers, shelf tags promoting healthier breakfast cereal options, and replacing a complimentary bun with a banana offered to children. The initiatives were implemented for 6 weeks (or longer if the store manager allowed it) in one store in Copenhagen, Denmark. Data were collected through observations, informal interviews with customers, and semi-structured interviews with retailers. We conducted a thematic analysis of transcripts and field notes inspired by process evaluation concepts and included quantitative summaries of selected data.ResultsTwo out of four initiatives were not implemented as intended. The implementation was delayed due to delivery issues, which also resulted in soda bottles not being downsized as intended. The maintenance of the shelf tags decreased over time. Retailers expressed different levels of acceptability towards the initiatives, with a preference for the complimentary banana for children. This was also the only initiative noticed by customers with both positive and negative responses. Barriers and facilitators of implementation fell into three themes: Health is not the number one priority, general capacity of retailers, and influence of customers and other stakeholders on store operation.ConclusionsThe retailers’ interests, priorities, and general capacity influenced the initiative implementation. Retailers’ acceptability of the initiatives was mixed despite their involvement in the pre-intervention phase. Our study also suggests that customer responses towards health-promoting initiatives, as well as cooperation with suppliers and manufacturers in the development phase, may be determining to successful implementation. Future studies should explore strategies to facilitate implementation, which can be applied prior to and during the intervention.

Proportion of Patients in the United States Who Fill Their Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Prescriptions.

Although real-world studies demonstrate that those prescribed nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (and particularly within 5days of symptom onset) are less likely to experience severe COVID-19 outcomes, prior studies show that only a small fraction of patients with COVID-19 who are eligible for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir receive a prescription. Studies calculating the proportion of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescriptions filled and identifying individual- and pharmacy-level correlates of filling nirmatrelvir/ritonavir are lacking. This retrospective cohort study included individuals aged ≥ 12years with a nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescription ordered at a large national retail pharmacy (December 22, 2021-August 12, 2023). Those taking contraindicated medications were excluded. For those with only one nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescription ordered, the outcome was whether the prescription was filled (yes/no). In a subanalysis of these individuals, the outcome was whether the prescription was filled within 5days of symptom onset (yes/no). For those with multiple prescriptions ordered, the outcome was whether > 1 (vs. 0 or 1) prescriptions were filled. A log-binomial regression with generalized estimating equations was used to identify individual (clinical and demographic) and pharmacy-level (percentage of trade area that is non-Hispanic white, urbanicity, US Census region, and tract-level area deprivation index) correlates. A total of 2,103,570 unique nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescriptions were ordered for 1,985,990 individuals. Among the 95% of individuals prescribed only one nirmatrelvir/ritonavir course, 88% filled their prescription. Among those with > 1 prescription ordered, 77% (82,993/108,411) filled one and 13% (13,662/108,411) filled > 1. Patients ≥ 50years of age and those with documented high-risk conditions were slightly more likely to fill prescriptions, regardless of whether one or multiple courses were ordered. Individuals with cancer, asthma, or taking corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications were more likely to fill multiple prescriptions. Most patients filled their nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescriptions. Interventions to improve uptake should focus on increasing patient and provider awareness, reducing nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescribing disparities, and ensuring treatment initiation within 5days.

Abstract MP23: Arm Size Coverage of Popular Over-the-Counter Blood Pressure Devices and Implications in US Adults

Background: Recent findings show the impact of an inappropriate cuff size on blood pressure (BP) reading. Despite the emphasis on the value of home BP monitoring, little is known about the coverage of arm circumference in popular over-the-counter (OTC) devices. Aims: To evaluate the coverage of arm circumference in popular BP devices and quantify the proportion of U.S. adults not eligible for using those devices due to arm size. Methods: We searched a large online retailer, Amazon, for ranks, ratings, and number of sold devices and purchased ten of the most popular OTC devices. We recorded data on the cuff sizes and corresponding aim circumference ranges offered in those devices. Subsequently, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2020 (13,826 adults), we quantified the number of US adults not eligible to use those popular devices due to arm circumference. Results: Nine devices offered cuff size covering arm circumference from 22-42 cm, and one from 22-40 cm ( Table ). We found that ~22 million US adults (6.7% of US adults) could not use these OTC devices since their arm circumferences were <22 cm (1.0 million [0.3%]) or >42 cm (21.4 million [6.4%]). The proportion of adults not covered by these devices was higher in Blacks (11.7%) than in other racial/ethnic groups (≤6.5%). Conclusions: Despite the emphasis on the importance of home BP monitoring, over 20 million US adults may not be eligible to use popular BP devices due to their arm circumference, and Blacks are more susceptible to this issue than other racial/ethnic groups. Manufacturers of OTC blood pressure devices should address this unrecognized disparity for quality and equitable hypertension diagnosis and management integrating home BP monitoring.

MCI모형을 이용한 중국 옌타이시 대형소매점 매출예측 및 상권영향분석

Recent research on GIS analysis, spatial interaction models, and site selection for large retail stores is actively underway in China both domestically and internationally. However, most studies tend to rely on secondary data provided by government agencies, neglecting research based on actual consumer survey data. Therefore, this study aimed to improve methods for analyzing commercial areas of large-scale retail stores in China by proposing the use of consumer data to enhance existing spatial interaction models. Specifically, by conducting surveys among consumers who actually visit large-scale retail stores, basic data such as store visit rates and visitor travel distances were collected to construct the MCI model. Through this approach, the study estimated the visit probability and market share of large-scale retail stores, and analyzed the impact of market environmental changes on commercial areas. Firstly, based on address data from 279 Chinese consumers, the study area was divided into 44 regions. These regions were combined with information on consumer shopping patterns and store details to construct a matrix of interactions between regions and large-scale retail stores. Secondly, important parameters in the MCI model, such as store attractiveness index and distance sensitivity, were estimated through OLS regression analysis. Findings revealed that the store type (regional large-scale retail, urban large-scale retail) did not significantly impact on consumers’ store preferences. Instead, customer visits exhibited an inverse relationship with distance and a direct relationship with store size. These estimated results were consistent with the theoretical perspectives of spatial interaction models. Thirdly, to examine how changes in the retail environment may affect retail businesses within commercial areas, the study focused on changes in sales and market share of surrounding retail businesses when a specific store expanded its area or entered a new region. The results showed that both expanding store area and entering new regions had negative impacts on other existing stores.

Voluntary turnover of high achievers: A systems psychodynamics analysis with CIBART

Orientation: Voluntary turnover is a costly and frequently disruptive organisational phenomenon, particularly when it involves high achievers.Research purpose: The study aimed to develop a psychodynamic exposé of voluntary turnover by applying the conflict, identity, boundaries, authority, roles and task (CIBART) model to the lived experiences of high achievers.Motivation for the study: The research primarily focusses on voluntary turnover as an individual, rational decision-making process. It recognises the contribution of unconscious systems psychodynamics to voluntary turnover. Research conducted from this perspective is necessary to gain a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the topic.Research approach/design and method: Seven case studies of individual voluntary turnover were conducted in a large private retail company. Data were collected using free association narrative (FANI) interviews. The analysis of the data was guided by hermeneutic phenomenology, and the interpretive frame used was the CIBART model.Main findings: Six themes were constructed to describe the conflict dynamics along each of the six CIBART dimensions. Within each theme, the conflict dynamic is exposed, revealing the subsequent anxiety and defences that accumulate leading to the decision to leave. Ultimately, the six themes synthesise to propose that voluntary turnover is a conscious manifestation, yet an unconscious defence against system-wide conflict.Practical/managerial implications: Facilitating leaders’ understanding and processing of the conflict dynamics that occur across the CIBART dimensions, and which contribute to voluntary turnover, create opportunities for both transformation and prevention.Contribution/value-add: The research offers insights into the psychodynamics of voluntary turnover, which consulting psychologists and organisational leaders can utilise to address this phenomenon within their work groups.

Analyzing Customer Satisfaction: An Empirical Study on the Services Provided by Large Format Retail Stores in Tier-III Cities of India

Analyzing Customer Satisfaction: An Empirical Study on the Services Provided by Large Format Retail Stores in Tier-III Cities of India